PBDE’s are substances applied to household objects in order to reduce their flammability. Studies have found PBDE’s in other areas such as breast milk. Certain types of PBDE’s have been banned, however some still remain legal. A new instrument has been invented, the IA-MASS, that helps test PBDE’s faster then in previous years.
PBDE’s are absorbed by the human body and stored in fat. When they circulate the body long-term effects such as the stunting of neurological growth take place. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has classified PBDE’s as a possible carcinogen, or a substance that causes cancer.
PBDE’s can be classified by their level of bromination, lower brominated PBDE’s have less bromine atoms as higher brominated PBDE’s have a higher amount of bromine atoms. There is a recent controversy around PBDE’s, specifically on whether or not to ban them in the U.S. Though most bills to ban their use in the united states have not been passed, the governor of one state did order the state department of ecology to commence work on reducing the threat of harmful flame retardants.
Background
Polybrominated diphenyl ethers, also known as PBDE’s, are flame retardant substances that can be found as a sub-family of brominated flame-retardants. In other words, it helps reduce the flammability of the objects that it is applied to, so that they have a reduced chance of catching on fire. They can be broken down into three main groups: penta, octa, and deca PBDE. They are most commonly used in man made household products, mostly fabric’s furniture and electronics.
However studies have also found PBDE’s in many other places, such as in dust, sewage, and sludge found at water treatment plants. One 2005 study found high levels of methoxy-PBDE’s in whale blubber and other marine animal fats. When inspected, the methoxy-PBDE’s in whale blubber contained high levels of carbon 14, a radioactive substance. A Swedish study discovered that breast milk and many types of human tissues had high levels of PentaBDE’s. As an effect of this study Sweden has reduced the use of PentaBDE’s since 2004. Also in 2004 the European union assessed PBDE’s in all forms. The EU found PentaBDE’s and OctaBDE’s potentially harmful and banned them from production, exempting only DecaBDE’s, which are still in use.
In the past, it has been too difficult to run PBDE tests on plastics while they are in production. However the invention of a new analytical instrument called an IA-Mass, allows us to run tests before plastics reach the assembly line.
Health and Enviormental
PBDE’s enter the body from two main sources, the first of which is through ingestion. High build up of PBDE’s is found in animal fat. Like many other organohalogen compounds they generally they are able to enter the bodies of smaller organisms, and then work their way up the predatory food chain.
Unfortunately for us, humans are at the top of this food chain. When we east fatty meats such farmed salmon, they have large amounts of PBDE’s in their blubber, and upon ingestion, they enter our blood stream and accumulate in our fat.
Other animals that are not on the predatory food chain such as cows, commonly inhale PBDE’s from the dust that accumulates in areas such as their barns. The PBDE’s get into their reproductive system, and accumulate in their milk. When the cows are milked, they pass these PBDE’s out of their body, and into ours as we drink that milk or eat that cheese.
Once we have PBDE’s in our system, they can stay in our fat for over a decade. As they get into the blood stream, they may also effect other things, such as your thyroid, decreasing levels of T4, which is a hormone that helps develop a working nervous system, and occasionally also alters behavioral patterns. PBDE’s can also get into you’re nervous system, which explains why studies show things such as leaning and memory defects.
One of the most pressing matters due to the fact that many effects PBDE’s have on the body are impairing growth of various systems and puberty, is the many additional ways babies can ingest PBDE’s. PBDE’s are found to accumulate in the placenta, as in fat they do not leave this area for decades. When a baby is created in a womb that has this build up, they will experience all of the side effects before they are even born. Additionally, once a baby is born, that child can intake PBDE’s through his mothers breast milk, another common spot for build up.
Lastly, the most pressing concern, is that The US Environmental Protection Agency, has classified deca-BDE’s as a possibly carcinogen, a substance that can potentially cause or contribute to the formation of cancer in the body. Lab animals showed signs of increased number of liver tumors while exposed to PBDE’s.
Synthesis/Production
Polybrominated dyphenal ethers are flame-retardants in the carcinogen family. They can have a lower or higher bromination due to the number of bromine atoms in the compound. The lower brominated PBDE’s are more easily absorbed by living organisms, and are usually the PBDE’s found in breast milk and animal fat. Low and high brominated PBDE’s are all structured similarly to other halogenated aromatic pollutants, which has lead to the speculation that they may share toxicological properties such as hepatic enzyme induction.
Economic/Political Impact
PBDE’s are one of the more recent controversies in the legal environmental area of U.S. politics. A short while ago, another flame retardant substance, PCB’s, were banned in the U.S. There have been a series of bills introduced by state lawmakers to ban PBDE’s in the US. Those measures have failed to move beyond legislative committees, but a few years ago former Governor Gary Locke ordered the state department of ecology to do work with health experts in order to reduce the threat of harmful flame retardants.
Summary
We do not currently have the resources to ban PBDEs, because there is no clear replacement or even temporary substitutes. However it is safe to say that PBDE’s are far from safe enough to continue to be used in household products. For the time being we should stop buying products made with PBDE’s especially while there are children regularly in the house. In the mean time, we should continue to test other substances in order to ultimately replace PBDE’s entirely.
Copper Stream
Polybrominated diphenyl ethers
Abstract
PBDE’s are substances applied to household objects in order to reduce their flammability. Studies have found PBDE’s in other areas such as breast milk. Certain types of PBDE’s have been banned, however some still remain legal. A new instrument has been invented, the IA-MASS, that helps test PBDE’s faster then in previous years.
PBDE’s are absorbed by the human body and stored in fat. When they circulate the body long-term effects such as the stunting of neurological growth take place. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has classified PBDE’s as a possible carcinogen, or a substance that causes cancer.
PBDE’s can be classified by their level of bromination, lower brominated PBDE’s have less bromine atoms as higher brominated PBDE’s have a higher amount of bromine atoms. There is a recent controversy around PBDE’s, specifically on whether or not to ban them in the U.S. Though most bills to ban their use in the united states have not been passed, the governor of one state did order the state department of ecology to commence work on reducing the threat of harmful flame retardants.
Background
Polybrominated diphenyl ethers, also known as PBDE’s, are flame retardant substances that can be found as a sub-family of brominated flame-retardants. In other words, it helps reduce the flammability of the objects that it is applied to, so that they have a reduced chance of catching on fire. They can be broken down into three main groups: penta, octa, and deca PBDE. They are most commonly used in man made household products, mostly fabric’s furniture and electronics.
However studies have also found PBDE’s in many other places, such as in dust, sewage, and sludge found at water treatment plants. One 2005 study found high levels of methoxy-PBDE’s in whale blubber and other marine animal fats. When inspected, the methoxy-PBDE’s in whale blubber contained high levels of carbon 14, a radioactive substance. A Swedish study discovered that breast milk and many types of human tissues had high levels of PentaBDE’s. As an effect of this study Sweden has reduced the use of PentaBDE’s since 2004. Also in 2004 the European union assessed PBDE’s in all forms. The EU found PentaBDE’s and OctaBDE’s potentially harmful and banned them from production, exempting only DecaBDE’s, which are still in use.
In the past, it has been too difficult to run PBDE tests on plastics while they are in production. However the invention of a new analytical instrument called an IA-Mass, allows us to run tests before plastics reach the assembly line.
Health and Enviormental
PBDE’s enter the body from two main sources, the first of which is through ingestion. High build up of PBDE’s is found in animal fat. Like many other organohalogen compounds they generally they are able to enter the bodies of smaller organisms, and then work their way up the predatory food chain.
Unfortunately for us, humans are at the top of this food chain. When we east fatty meats such farmed salmon, they have large amounts of PBDE’s in their blubber, and upon ingestion, they enter our blood stream and accumulate in our fat.
Other animals that are not on the predatory food chain such as cows, commonly inhale PBDE’s from the dust that accumulates in areas such as their barns. The PBDE’s get into their reproductive system, and accumulate in their milk. When the cows are milked, they pass these PBDE’s out of their body, and into ours as we drink that milk or eat that cheese.
Once we have PBDE’s in our system, they can stay in our fat for over a decade. As they get into the blood stream, they may also effect other things, such as your thyroid, decreasing levels of T4, which is a hormone that helps develop a working nervous system, and occasionally also alters behavioral patterns. PBDE’s can also get into you’re nervous system, which explains why studies show things such as leaning and memory defects.
One of the most pressing matters due to the fact that many effects PBDE’s have on the body are impairing growth of various systems and puberty, is the many additional ways babies can ingest PBDE’s. PBDE’s are found to accumulate in the placenta, as in fat they do not leave this area for decades. When a baby is created in a womb that has this build up, they will experience all of the side effects before they are even born. Additionally, once a baby is born, that child can intake PBDE’s through his mothers breast milk, another common spot for build up.
Lastly, the most pressing concern, is that The US Environmental Protection Agency, has classified deca-BDE’s as a possibly carcinogen, a substance that can potentially cause or contribute to the formation of cancer in the body. Lab animals showed signs of increased number of liver tumors while exposed to PBDE’s.
Synthesis/Production
Polybrominated dyphenal ethers are flame-retardants in the carcinogen family. They can have a lower or higher bromination due to the number of bromine atoms in the compound. The lower brominated PBDE’s are more easily absorbed by living organisms, and are usually the PBDE’s found in breast milk and animal fat. Low and high brominated PBDE’s are all structured similarly to other halogenated aromatic pollutants, which has lead to the speculation that they may share toxicological properties such as hepatic enzyme induction.
Economic/Political Impact
PBDE’s are one of the more recent controversies in the legal environmental area of U.S. politics. A short while ago, another flame retardant substance, PCB’s, were banned in the U.S. There have been a series of bills introduced by state lawmakers to ban PBDE’s in the US. Those measures have failed to move beyond legislative committees, but a few years ago former Governor Gary Locke ordered the state department of ecology to do work with health experts in order to reduce the threat of harmful flame retardants.
Summary
We do not currently have the resources to ban PBDEs, because there is no clear replacement or even temporary substitutes. However it is safe to say that PBDE’s are far from safe enough to continue to be used in household products. For the time being we should stop buying products made with PBDE’s especially while there are children regularly in the house. In the mean time, we should continue to test other substances in order to ultimately replace PBDE’s entirely.
Sources
http://pubs.acs.org/subscribe/journals/esthag-w/2001/dec/science/kb_pbde.html
http://chemistry.about.com/cs/medical/a/aa102603a.htm
http://www.ewg.org/reports/mothersmilk
http://www.sightline.org/research/pollution/
http://assets.panda.org/downloads/badbloodoctober2004.pdf
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/309169_pbde28.html
http://www.etoxics.org/site/PageServer?pagename=svtc_bfrs_in_electronics
http://www.newsroom.ucr.edu/cgi-bin/display.cgi?id=1731
http://www.checnet.org/healthehouse/chemicals/chemicals-detail-print.asp?Main_ID=902
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2003/09/23/MN285358.DTL
http://dwb.thenewstribune.com/front/topstories/story/4734709p-4367572c.html